


Contested

by Measured_Bears (Measured_Words)



Category: Katmai National Park Bear Cams - Explore.org, Undisclosed Fandom
Genre: Adventure, Bears, Contests, Fat Bear Week 2020, Gen, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Quests
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured_Words/pseuds/Measured_Bears
Summary: Jolly, 435 Holly's cub, is sure that the Fat Bear Week contest was rigged, and she is off on a quest to investigate!
Comments: 17
Kudos: 28
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Contested

**Author's Note:**

  * For [epicycles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/epicycles/gifts).



"Momma," said the little bear, "I think the Fat Bear Week Contest was rigged."

Holly sighed. "Eat your fish, little one."

The little bear – let's call her Jolly, something a little more personal than "435's Cub" – did take one bite from the piece of salmon she was holding, but she could not let go of the idea so easily. "But momma," she implored, "At the beginning of the summer, I was just a very small bear – only a few pounds! Aren't I so very big now?"

"Very big, dear", answered Holly, who had won the contest the year before and been crowned the Queen of Corpulence. "But that is true of all the cubs that were born this year, and the year before, and the year before that. A cub has never won the Fat Bear Week Contest." 

"But momma!" Jolly had completely discarded the salmon now, and it swirled away into the river, perhaps to be scavenged by yet another bear, "I am big and I have done so many other things too! I had those nasty pokiepine quills in my paw, and I played with other cubs, and climbed trees and rolled in the grass and even chased a ranger – and I still got very big!"

"Those are all important things for a young bear to learn," said Holly, who had mothered many cubs in many different circumstances – some not even her own. "Well, maybe not chasing the rangers. Or the porcupines. You should focus on learning all these things you will need as you grow up, and not on winning some silly contest."

"That's easy for you to say, momma, you won it before! I just know it was rigged though, and I'm gonna prove it."

"Oh Jolly," said her mother, "I know you are a very stubborn cub and that you will try no matter what I say. But please try and remember that you are still just a very little bear, and it is a big scary bear world out there. And although he was in the contest, you must not bother 856 about this, for he is a cranky and dangerous bear, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Yes momma," Jolly promised, "I'll remember!"

Jolly had a little bit of a think, and decided that she would speak to the other Fat Bear Week contestants. That way she could see what they thought, and decide for herself if the contest had been fair.

The first one that she found was her older sister, 719 Princess. She had two cubs of her own, both a year older than Jolly. Jolly realized that she hadn't played with these cubs, and considered putting her quest on hold. Their mother had different ideas, though, and splashed at her when she came near.

"Back off, sis!" The cubs looked up from where they were fishing, but as their mother was handling the situation they paid the scene no mind and continued dining. "What do you want?"

Jolly kept her distance, disappointed that she wouldn't have a chance to play. "I'm doing an investigation. I think the Fat Bear Week Contest was rigged."

Princess grumbled. "I don't care about a stupid contest. I'm worried about taking care of my kids, and getting fat enough for the winter – and that's what you should be worried about too."

Jolly thought she was probably just bitter about losing in the first round, but that was okay – there were others to talk to. Certainly Jolly wasn't bitter about losing in her first round, no not at all…

The contest was half sows and half boars, but there had only been one sow on the other side of the bracket – the legendary 402. She was even older than Jolly's mama, and had mothered even more cubs. Her last litter had been emancipated in the spring, and this summer she had been living the free life on her own. She was a large old sow, and Jolly approached her cautiously.

"Excuse me ma'am," she said in what she hoped was a respectful tone.

"Oh, you're Holly's new little brat," she said. "I've heard about you. What do you want?"

Jolly was certain that anything anybear might have heard about her could only be good, and pressed on. "Missus 402, I am trying to prove that the Fat Bear Week Contest was rigged."

"Oh, well, of course it was, kid. That fat jerk wants to be the top bear anyway he can be, but we all know he cheats."

"I knew it!" The old sow's comment made her feel even more determined. "And I'm going to prove it!"

"That does seem like the kind of foolishness your mother would permit. It's more trouble than it's worth, if you ask me, but probably so are you, so good luck."

She ambled off, and Jolly was left determined – a little confused and maybe insulted, but determined nonetheless.

She had now talked to three of the eleven other contestants, but most of the others were all likely to be found in one place – up at The Falls. Her mother had told her about the falls, where there was really good fishing, but also many other bears to compete with, including the biggest and baddest boars in the region. Some cubs got to go there, but Jolly's momma said she was too little, and too "Independent." But now she would have to go, and on her own to boot.

Fortunately, Jolly thought, she could kill two birds with one stone. There was one bear who no one dared to mess with at the falls, who knew how to keep cubs safe – and she had been in the final round of the contest. Jolly went looking for Grazer.

She found her up at the lake, sharing a fish with her two cubs. Grazer looked up as soon as Jolly got close and gave a very scary look, but relaxed somewhat when she realized that the little bear was not a threat. She was simply massive, with rolls of fat even around her ankles, and her belly hung down to the waterline where she stood

"You look familiar," she growled, "but why are you wandering around without your mother? It's dangerous out here for a little cub."

"I'm Jolly, daughter of Holly," she announced proudly. "And I'm going to prove that the Fat Bear Week Contest was rigged!

"I don't know about rigged," Grazer grumbled, "but I don't know about fair either. I put my cubs ahead of fame this year, and that cost me the contest. Still. It was very close, I hear. You just wait until these two are weaned and I'll show everybear a thing or two about fatness – even your mother!"

"That may be, but I want to prove that this year was rigged. But I have to talk to all the fat bears, so that means I have to go to the falls."

Grazer paused, looking her over. "I can tell you are determined, even though that could be very dangerous for a cub all alone. You might be able to pull it off, but here is some advice, Jolly: Show no fear. Be aggressive, not defensive. And if anybear looks at you funny – be ready to put them in their place. I will tell you a secret that I have told my cubs: boars don't want to fight. As long as they don't think anything is in it for them, they won't. So make sure there isn't. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," Jolly said, a little scared at the thought of fighting boars, but determined nevertheless. "Thank you!"

Her next stop was the falls. It was a pretty long walk, and she had to stop and eat a lot of fish along the way to keep up her strength and her fat. She missed her momma, who she knew must be relaxing in the lower river, feasting and floating along. She also practiced making herself look as big and scary as possible, just in case.

When she got to the top of the falls though, she encountered a bear who was almost the last bear she'd wanted to see: 909. She had defeated Jolly in the very first round, even though she was not a cub, and hadn't had a paw full of pokiepine quills or anything like that. That hardly seemed fair. Still, Jolly had decided to talk to them all, so she screwed up her courage.

"Excuse me, Miss 909?"

909 was perched at the top of the falls, hoping to catch one of the last stragglers from the salmon run. She looked cranky when she turned around, and Jolly thought this was a good time to practice looking tough and big. 909 didn't look impressed. "Aren't you that cub from the Fat Bear Week Contest?"

"Yes, that's right. It's me, Holly's spring cub, but you can call me Jolly! I am investigating whether the contest was rigged."

"Rigged!" 909 roared, "What, just because you lost in the first round? Are you accusing me of rigging the contest!?"

"Well," said Jolly, who did certainly have opinions about things like seasonal gains and setbacks, but 909 wasn't having it.

"Some of us didn't have our mothers around to catch food for us – we had to do all of our own work! And I did it here, up at the falls, making a space for myself as a young sow amidst all these boars who think they own the place, and mastering one of the most difficult fishing techniques used on this river! I know it looks easy, but there's more to it than standing here and hoping a fish leaps into your mouth."

"Okay," said Jolly, "Maybe you did have your own hardships to overcome, but everybear else said that 747 cheated, so I still think it could have been rigged."

"Look kid," 909 said. "Jolly. Whatever. Every bear in the contest had things for and against them. I knew I wasn't going to win. I was there – and so was your sister – because we have a family legacy to carry on. If you get back in this contest again, it will be because of your mother as much as anything else. Trust me – that's enough pressure without worrying what anybear else is or isn’t doing."

"Maybe I will feel that way when I'm older," Jolly admitted, "but I still want to investigate this year."

Jolly left 909 to her fishing and made her way down to the falls. There were several very large bears, and while she was scared, she remembered Grazer's words and put on a brave face. She could see that most of the other bears she needed to speak to were here.

Jolly was considering the best strategy for a small bear to approach a large bear when SPLASH! She was nearly bowled over by two wrestling bears.

"Hey – watch it!" She yelled, remembering to look very stern and as scary as a spring cub could be.  
The bears jumped and turned around to look at where the angry little voice had some from. When they spotted Jolly, one of them burst out laughing.

"Oh Walker," he said, "That's rich! Imagine the two of us, scared by such a small little cub."

"It isn't funny, Chunk," Walker grumbled. "If word gets around, its totally going to ruin my reputation."

"It's not healthy to take yourself so seriously," Chunk replied, settling his very ample backside down into the river. "But what are you doing here, cub? It's dangerous for you to be up here by yourself."

"I'm not scared," she said – and the thought that she had startled these two very large bears was something of a boost of confidence, so it was even almost true. "You were both in the Fat Bear Week Contest, weren't you? I'm trying to prove it was rigged."

"I should have won!" roared Walker. "I was robbed! That fat old jerk thinks he's a boss bear – well I'm gonna show him!"

"I think we both did very well, beating out past winners," said Chunk, eyes trailing a passing salmon. "I was the only boar on my side of the lineup though."

"But we didn't *win*, Chunk. Did you see me in the spring! Look at me – I'm huge!"

Jolly suppressed a sigh, listening to Walker's bluster. He was a very large and fat bear, no doubt, but she did not think he was fatter than Grazer, or that his gains were any more impressive than her own.

"That's true, Walker, but being number one bear is not all it's cracked up to be. Eat, get fat, play, have fun! Those are what's important."

"You're just saying that because 747 has been pushing you around all summer," Walker grumbled.

"Leaning what fights are worth having is an important skill for all bears to learn," Chunk added, continuing to address Jolly, "You do have to be prepared to stand up for yourself. Now I don't know about the contest, but why don't you go talk to Otis? He probably knows the most about it."

"Thank you," Jolly said, happy to leave the two to their shenanigans.

Otis was a very old bear, and she had seen him before down in the lower river, eating and napping.  
"Hello Mister Otis," said Jolly. "I am investigating whether the Fat Bear Week Contest was rigged, and Chunk said that I should talk to you."

"Hello there, little bear," said Otis in a very slow and ponderous voice. "I have won the contest many times now, you know. This year they named a Fund after me."

Jolly didn't know what a fund was, but she was focused on her goal – surely this wise old bear would know whether or not this year had been fair! "Do you think it was rigged? 747 started the season very fat already."

"Hmm," said Otis, thinking deeply. "You know, it isn't called the Bear That Gained the Most Weight Contest, is it? If that were the case, little cub, you would never have been able to compete. But if it was the Bear That Gained the Most Proportional Weight, you would be the shoo-in winner over all the other competitors. But it is just about who is picked as the Fattest Bear, from those who were selected. There are some very fat bears here who didn't even make it into the competition."

"But if he is the fattest, how come this the first year that he won?"

Otis nodded sagely. "It is true – 747 has perhaps been the biggest and fattest bear on the river in other years, and if he has never won, does that mean they were rigged? No, little cub. There are lots of reasons that bears get votes. Sometimes they are very popular bears, like your mother, who is both popular and fat, and myself as well. Sometimes they have a very good story – your story was very compelling, I thought. Sometimes it is their gains over the year, or having a very good photograph, or many other reasons as well. Here is the true secret of the Fat Bear Week Contest that I have learned over the years – It is not meant to be a fair contest, only a fun one. And all of the bears are winners, in the end, as long as we can get fat. Do you understand?"

Jolly sighed. "That's what Princess said – that we just got to worry about getting fat enough to survive."

"Your sister was half right. That is very important, but we also benefit when humans pay attention to us and care about our stories, because it means they will care more about protecting us, the salmon we eat, and the place where we live."

Jolly hadn't really thought about humans very much, other than they were behind the contest that had seemed so unfair when she started her quest. "Mister Otis," she said, after some reflection, "you truly are a wise old bear. But I think I would still like to see 747 for myself and decide if I think he is the fattest bear."

"He is just over there…. But be very careful, for many of the top bears are around, including 747, and they have little patience for cubs."

"I will be very careful, Mister Otis."

Otis nodded, and went back to staring quietly at the water, scanning for fish. Jolly turned back towards the falls, wondering if she should be able to pick 747 out from the others by his alleged bulk.

"WHO DARES INTRUDE ON MY FISHING SPOT!" Roared a very LOUD voice. Jolly looked up….and up… at a very large and tall bear, who had raised his head from the water and was glaring down at her. This was not 747, but 856! Jolly remembered what her mother had said, and even Grazer's advice didn't seem like it would be enough to help her now. She was very scared.

"Oh, hey boss," another bear came up from behind her, doing his very best to look submissive. Jolly gratefully scampered behind him. "No worries, no one wants to take your spot sir, or give you any trouble at all! Please enjoy your fishing, we'll be sure to give you lots of space!"

"Very good – see that you do," grumbled 856, nodding tolerantly at Jolly's rescuer. He also turned back to his fishing, and soon had a large silver salmon snagged in his claws.

"Thank you very much for saving me," she squeaked, still shaking a little. "Who are you?"

"I'm 812!" the other bear responded, sticking out his tongue in apparent indignation. "You're very lucky I was there. I have been watching the older boars all summer and learning from them, and I know how to get them to back down if I have to."

"Yes, I am very lucky," she said. "I've been on a quest to talk to every bear in the Fat Bear Week Contest, and you were one of only three that I was missing. I suppose I can cross 856 off my list as well, though I had promised my momma I wouldn't bug him!"

"Your mom is a smart bear," said 812, sticking out his tongue again. "Who was the last bear on your list? Maybe I can help."

"The last bear is 747 – the Fat Bear Winner. I would like to see for myself how large he really is."

"Then come with me, and act just as I do. 747 is in the Jacuzzi today, on the other side of the falls."

Jolly did her very best to copy the older bear, holding her ears and shoulders just so. She thought that Grazer would not approve, but she was not ready to be scared again.

"Excuse me Your Grace," said 812 once they were close – but not too close. "I have brought someone who wishes to pay her respects to the great Earl of Avoirdupois."

747 was sitting in a deep pool of water, but he turned and rose….and rose… 

He was truly a MASSIVE bear! Jolly was very young, but she had seen many bears in the river since the spring, and he was truly the largest of them all.

"What's this now, 812?"

Jolly stepped forward, and cleared her throat. "Mister Earl, sir," she said, "I have been investigating the Fat Bear Week Contest. And I would just like to say… congratulations on your win."

747 looked down at Jolly, then at 812, and back to her. He shrugged. "Thanks kid, but I got fish to eat. Ain't got no time to worry about silly human things." With that, he turned back around, waddling back into his fishing spot below the falls.

"Well there you go," said 812. "And now – you should get back to your mother. I am going to have someone very special come and take you home. He is my brother, and yours as well – 503, the Prince of Katmai. Would you like that?"

"I would like that very much," said Jolly, who felt accomplished, a little wiser, and also hungry. She did miss her momma very much, and all the climbing and playing she could be doing with her friends back on the lower river.

503 was a pleasant and social bear, and he proved very good company on her walk home, even catching a fish to share when he saw that she was hungry. Holly seemed happy to see him, but not as happy as she was to see Jolly.

"Thank you for bringing her home safely," she said, gently nuzzling her cub.

"Any time, mom," he said, "I'll never forget everything you did for me!" 

"And thank you, momma, for letting me go and trying and find out about the contest for myself," said Jolly.

"Of course, my dear one," said Holly. "And what all did you learn?"

"I learned so many things, momma! I learned to focus on family, and how to be brave and fierce, and that sometimes you have to look out for yourself to survive. I also learned that it's good to know our strengths, but not to take myself too seriously, and that knowing when to be fierce and when to be submissive is very important. I learned about being wise too, and that it is important to have friends. I learned many important things about being a bear – and I also learned that 747 is the biggest, fattest bear."

"I am very proud of you Jolly. Now come and have some fish, and then we will take a nice long nap."

"Yes momma," said Jolly, "And I am going to dream that one day, maybe I will win the Far Bear Week Contest too, and I will deserve it just as much, no matter what my story is."

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Yuletide, I hope you enjoyed this!
> 
> For people who are not Bear Fanatics:  
> 812 and 503 are both sons of 402, but 503 was separated from his mother when he was still a cub, and 435 Holly adopted him.
> 
> There are also reasons that Holly warned her cub away from 856, but they are sad. If you are curious, you can read about it, or about any of the other bears, on the [Katmai Bear Cams wiki!](https://katmai-bearcams.fandom.com/wiki/Katmai_Bearcams_Wiki)


End file.
